Silver Hill Duck is to invest “north of €30m” to expand its food production operation in Co Monaghan as it plans to grow internationally.
Last week, the company received notification from Monaghan County Council that its plans to expand the facility in Emyvale had been granted.
Micheál Briody, managing director of Silver Hill Duck, said the company was looking to expand production to match the demand it has seen in international markets.
‘It is specifically earmarked for halal products for Malaysia, UAE and Saudi Arabia’
“It is a new plant, a new building on a brown-site facility where we would be increasing our capacity from 80,000 ducks a week to up to 120,000. We would be modernising the plant as well.
“It will specifically be earmarked for producing halal products for the Malaysian, UAE and Saudi markets, which will hopefully be coming on stream soon.”
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Briody said the investment would be more than €30m. He said it would create jobs at the construction stage and in production. He estimates employment could grow to 270 at the plant, up from 220.
The company is also developing a pet food facility, adding value to the waste offal it produces.
Jimmy Clerkin of Silver Hill Farm, Co Monaghan, herding ducks over the border at Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone. Photo: Mark Condren
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Jimmy Clerkin of Silver Hill Farm, Co Monaghan, herding ducks over the border at Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone. Photo: Mark Condren
Briody said the company had been planning the expansion for many years. In 2021, the company had initial plans for the project approved, but An Bord Pleanála eventually rejected them.
The issue had been around wastewater discharge. However, an innovative new drip irrigation system helped Silver Hill with the new plans.
“We are still not over the line,” said Briody of the current permission grant, as it can still be appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
The expansion is part of an international push, after having tasted success in Singapore.
“The demand at the moment is about 110,000 ducks, so as those other markets open up, it will be more,” he said. “At the moment, our biggest issue is capacity. We have grown the business over the last number of years, but the planning has been the backstop to crystallise that growth.”
Silver Hill Duck was founded in 1962 by Ronnie and Lyla Steele. In March 2019 Northern Irish agri-food company Fane Valley Group acquired the company for an undisclosed sum.
